Truck Rollover Accidents – Causes & Liability

Commercial truck rollover accidents are associated with a higher risk of injury, fatality, and a devastating environmental impact, compared to other types of accidents involving commercial vehicles. Just four percent of all trucking accidents are rollover accidents, but more than 12 percent of all fatalities in trucking accidents occur in rollovers, reports the University Of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).

Truck rollover accidents pose a serious threat of injury or death to the occupants of the truck and to others nearby. Learn more about their causes – an important aspect of any accident claim – and liable for the damages the accident causes.

Causes of Truck Rollovers

In 2002, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration undertook a Large Truck Crash Causation Study. A 2008 report focused on 239 truck rollover accidents. The study revealed several interesting facts about rollover accidents. Some of the common causes of rollovers are below.

Failure to adjust speed of the truck to curves

Load on the truck

Brake conditions

Road conditions

Conditions at intersections

Another major cause of trucking rollover accidents was driver inattention which included distractions, falling asleep at the wheel, or simply a state of inattentiveness in which drivers were focused on something other than driving. Another major contributor to rollovers involved driver errors like, over-steering, not steering enough, and over-correcting. All of these were errors that significantly increased rollover risks.

The report indicates that human error is a major factor in trucking rollovers. In other words, these accidents are preventable. Truck driver training and experience plays a major role in helping reduce the risk of rollovers. An experienced truck driver is much more likely to prevent the kind of devastating trucking errors that result in rollovers, and also more likely to avoid rollover risks like speeding.

Recovering Compensation for a Truck Rollover Accident

A trucking company is liable for its employees (truck drivers’) actions. So if a negligent trucker caused a rollover accident, the trucking company is liable for the damages it causes. If you were in an accident involving a large truck, you may file a claim against the trucking company for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Speak with accident attorney Julie Johnson in the Dallas area by calling 214-290-8001 or filling out our online contact form. Set up a consultation to discuss your case and review the details of your accident and the options available to to recover damages.

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